Special Containment Procedures: Until such time that proper containment of SCP-5006 can be reestablished, Site-608 is to be held under indefinite lockdown. Echelon Strike Team1 has been assigned to primary containment detail and have been instructed to shoot any individuals attempting to leave Site-608 on sight. Primary containment objectives consist of devising a method of reinforcing the space of reality surrounding Site-608 and confirming that personnel stationed at Site-608 are baseline non-anomalous humans.

Foundation artificial intelligence construct TSATPWTCOTTTADC has been given Level-4 access to the Site-608 security monitoring system and is currently tasked with determining the identity of SCP-5006-1 with 99.95% confidence.

Description: SCP-5006 is a terminal hallway located in Section 2C of Site-608. Prior to 07 September 2002, SCP-5006 hosted the offices of Dr. Alan Danica, Dr. Julia Ecker, Junior Researcher Adrian Williams, and Senior Researcher Rafael Hernandez. However, on the aforementioned date, all of the original offices spontaneously demanifested. In their place, a single unmarked office is situated at the end of the corridor. This office has been furnished with a large wooden desk, two bookshelves, a coffee machine, a filing cabinet, and a desktop computer. Notably, the room is not marked with a name plate, is windowless, and has twenty electrical sockets wired along the western wall.

The original building plans for Site-608 show that SCP-5006 originally featured only three offices, despite the fact that the aforementioned four Foundation employees claim to have been displaced by the anomaly.

SCP-5006-1 is a contrived thoughtform entity that has embedded itself amongst Site-608 staff, having fabricated its own memories and history with the Foundation. It is believed that the entity is not malicious, although the conflict created by its sudden existence has destabilized reality to an alarming degree, as evident by the discrepancies listed in Addendum 5006.1. The present identity of SCP-5006-1 is unknown and is considered an EKHI-class priority.

Addendum 5006.1: Discovery
SCP-5006 was discovered at 13:05 CST by Foundation .aic TSATPWTCOTTTADC. The .aic had detected multiple discrepancies between its active monitoring systems and its global resources, as well as a significant spike in Hume levels across the entire site. In response, TSATPWTCOTTTADC placed the site under indefinite lockdown and declared a containment breach.

TSATPWTCOTTTADC has flagged the following discrepancies:

The entirety of the office at the end of SCP-5006, suggesting that it is not a part of the building.

The document regarding SCP-5006, suggesting that it has been revised through anomalous means or that SCP-5006 is not a hallway.

The electrical wiring in Section 2C, suggesting that the creation of SCP-5006 required a significant amount of energy.

Personnel assigned to offices located in Section 2C of Site-608, suggesting that at least one member manifested at the same moment as the office now located at the end of SCP-5006.

Foreword: The following log was recorded by TSATPWTCOTTTADC.aic via the 2C conference room surveillance systems.

<Begin Log, 08/09/2002, 07:34>

Ecker: So, are you ready to tell us what's going on here, Director Kurth.

Kurth: Not quite. These things take time. You know that.

Ecker: Well excuse me, but some of us don't have time to wait for whatever it is you gathered us for. We might be on lockdown, but we still have jobs to do.

Kurth: That may be so, but you'll understand why we've done this as soon as —

Two successive chimes ring out from the tablet held by Director Kurth.

Kurth: And there it is. One sec while I skim through this e-mail… [He turns to the researchers.] Finally. Alright, everyone. You've all been confirmed for Level 2/5006 clearance, so we can now properly conduct this meeting. It is believed that, supported by evidence provided by AI Construct TSAT among other things, one of you are suspected to have only existed for approximately 20 hours.

Brief silence.

Kurth: I realize this may come as a shock to you all, however —

Danica: It's horseshit.

Kurth: — please stay calm. Do any of you have any questions?

Danica: A few, actually. Where's the proof? What does "among other things" mean? This is a very serious accusation to be making, Kurth.

Kurth: That's above your clearance.

Danica: So we have clearance to know one of us might not be real, but not access to substantial evidence?

Kurth: It's complicated, Alan. We don't know what one of you might do with that information once we've disclosed it. We have a team in another site doing hard research on thoughtforms; once they know more, we'll act accordingly.

Ecker: Thoughtforms? So, one of us is a tulpa?

Kurth: Correct.

Ecker: But tulpa have creators. They don't just happen.

Kurth: Correct.

Ecker: … so how do you know it's a tulpa at all?

Kurth: From what we've been told, the complexity of thoughtforms are based on intent and will. It's clear to us from evidence in the office at the end of two-C that a significant amount of power was used in the ritual to bring it to life. And subsequently removing your offices from the building.

Hernandez: Was there any investigation into that office, by the way? Who it belongs to? Previous assignments? I feel like we can know that much.

Kurth: The office is, uh, a new addition. No owners, present or past. That we've uncovered, anyhow.

Dr. Ecker shifts in her seat. Researcher Williams raises their hand.

Kurth: Yes, Adrian?

Williams: How long are we going to be locked down?

Danica: You're kidding me…

Kurth: Two things need to happen before we de-escalate the lockdown. First, we need to identify the thoughtform, for certain. Second, we'll need information on the research team to reverse the creation process to return Site-608 to its previous state.

Williams: And what if that never happens?

Silence. Dr. Danica lets out an exasperated sigh.

Danica: Okay. Why are we bothering with this? All it's done is restructure the building. Why do we need to exterminate it?

Kurth: Because thoughtforms don't just restructure buildings. That's beyond what they can reasonably do. If that's what it does to protect itself, then effective containment starts with dismantling it and locating its creator. Any other questions?

Ecker: Is this meeting over? I have other projects that need me to be present.

Kurth: Yes, the meeting is over. However, you won't need to attend to your projects for now, Julia.

Ecker: … oh, hell.

Kurth: Part of the condition for keeping you informed of your situation is to keep the four of you within a reasonable containment facility. As such, your authorizations have been adjusted. You cannot leave C-Wing until we have confirmation that—

Ecker: This is ridiculous. What do you want from us? Do you want my birth certificate? A list of my accolades? Stories about any scars that I have?

Kurth: Julia, we can't trust that any of that information is valid.

Ecker: Then what can you trust?

Kurth: We have to wait. For now, we have to let TSAT comb through the data and figure out what's real and what's not.

Ecker:We can do that work. We can do the research. It's our lives at stake here!

Kurth: You're dismissed.

Ecker: You're not even—

Kurth: You're dismissed, Julia. This meeting is over.

Brief silence. Dr. Danica stands up and exits the room. He is immediately followed by Dr. Ecker. Researcher Williams hesitates to stand up, allowing Researcher Hernandez to leave before them.

Foreword: The following log was recorded by TSATPWTCOTTTADC.aic through the 1C Break Room video surveillance systems.

<Begin Log, 08/09/2002, 08:50>

Both Ecker and Danica are sitting at a table facing each other. Danica's arms are crossed. Ecker is drinking something from a mug.

Ecker: How are you holding up?

Danica: Eh.

Ecker: About what I expected from you.

Danica: Sorry if I don't really feel like talking right now, Ecker. Kind of wrapping my head around, you know, not existing.

Ecker: You're not in this boat alone. I'm sure everyone is taking it hard.

Danica:[sighs] I suppose so.

Silence. Ecker takes a long sip from her mug. Danica taps his foot arrhythmically, leaning back in his chair slightly.

Ecker: Who do you think it is?

Danica: Kind of a forward question, don't you think?

Ecker: As if you haven't been thinking about it the moment you walked out of that room.

Danica: And what makes you say that?

Ecker: Because we spend too much time together and I've been doing the same thing.

Danica: … Williams.

Ecker: Oh. That's much different than what I was thinking. What makes you say that?

Danica: Did you see them in there? Fidgeting constantly, itching to get out of the site. I mean, they're so desperate to leave, they had to ask when they could. It's so obvious.

Ecker: They're new, Alan. Surely you can't expect them to really be used to this kind of thing, especially here. It's all low-risk anomalies here.

Danica: See? Even you said it, just now. They're new. Frankly, I'd say there's too much evidence against Williams here.

Ecker:[sighs] Yeah, that makes enough sense.

Danica: You still don't believe me.

Ecker: Not really. It just seems too easy.

Danica: And who do you think it is? Who's our big bad? Who's our spy?

Ecker: I don't need to tell you that.

Danica: I think you do.

Ecker: I don't.

Danica: You know, that's awful suspicious. You come here, sit down at my table, you ask what I'm thinking, and you don't think there's at least some expectation from me to hear who your primary suspect is?

Danica leans forward.

Danica: Tell me, Ecker.

Ecker stares back at Danica.

Danica: … you think it's me.

Ecker: You're not making it easy.

Danica: All these years working together and you're just gonna toss me to the pit like this?

Ecker: We can't be certain that our memories are real, Danica.

Danica: I guess not.

Danica stands up from his seat and leaves the room. Ecker relaxes herself as soon as the door closes.

Foreword: The following log was recorded by TSATPWTCOTTTADC.aic through the 3C Vacant Offices video surveillance systems.

<Begin Log, 08/09/2002, 10:16>

Sr. Researcher Hernandez is sitting at an empty desk reading a book when Jr. Researcher Williams knocks on the open door.

Williams: Hey Raf, you busy right now?

Hernandez: Not particularly, no. Just was catching up on a little reading. Everybody's been telling me that I've just gotta check out Asimov, so I figured I'd see what they were on about. This one seemed as good a place to start as any.

Hernandez bends the top corner of the page and closes the book, which is revealed to be a copy of "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov.

Hernandez: So, what's up kid?

Williams: Nothing new, really. It's just that this whole lockdown thing—well, I've never had anything like this happen before.

Hernandez: Yeah, looking out a window and seeing Nu-7's guns pointed your way isn't exactly a reassuring experience, is it?

Williams: Oh god, I hadn't even thought about that! Hammer Down is out there right now?

Hernandez: Relax, Adrian, it's not actually the entire MTF. It's just a little detachment to make sure the tulpa doesn't try to take off in the night or something. It's not like they'll be coming in here guns blazing or something. We're not the Gocks.

Williams takes a deep breath.

Williams: You're right. This whole thing just has me anxious.

Silence.

Hernandez: You know how many times I've been on lockdown?

Williams: No, how many?

Hernandez: None. Not even a single lockdown in the last thirty-some-odd years.

Williams: This is your first one?

Hernandez: Yep. Call it luck I guess? I don't know. I always worked with low-risk anomalies at low-risk sites.

Williams: How have you been able to stay so calm this whole time then? Aren't you worried that one of us might not be real? Aren't you worried that you might not be real?

Hernandez: Just because I've always worked on low-risk anomalies doesn't mean there was nothing to worry about. Hell, I spent a good four years of my tenure working on SCP-1545. Larry hasn't hurt anyone, and I don't exactly expect him to start anytime soon, but I've seen a few good scientists ask to be reassigned after a short stint with him.

Williams: Wait, isn't 1545 just a llama suit?

Hernandez: Essentially, yeah. But there was always something off about that voice. That awful sing-song voice that would come out of the poor sod we'd shoved in there this time. It wasn't human, and you knew it.

Williams: Where are you going with this, Raf?

Hernandez: I think Larry was evil. Not in the Disney movie kinda way, mind you. I can't really explain it, but I knew, in the back of my mind, that it enjoyed doing this to its "handlers".

Hernandez looks up at Williams.

Hernandez: I haven't gotten that feeling from any of you guys yet. I've trusted that feeling all my life, and it's never let me down before. It won't start now.

Foreword: The following log was recorded by TSATPWTCOTTTADC.aic through the 2C Esoteric Texts Library video surveillance systems.

<Begin Log, 08/09/2002, 12:32>

Ecker is looking through the shelves designated for storing occult texts. After eleven seconds, Hernandez can be briefly seen as he walks past the shelving section. As Ecker looks in that direction, Hernandez walks back into view.

Hernandez: Hey there.

Ecker: Oh, hi. I wasn't expecting someone else here. Not many people to expect, though, since we're effectively quarantined.

Hernandez: Right. You thinking what I'm thinking?

Ecker: That we don't have enough information to be making decisions?

Hernandez: And that we can get out of here quicker if we do some homework?

Ecker: Yeah.

Hernandez: Yeah. Good start with the occult section. I was going to go straight to the uncategorized stuff. See if there was anything a bit too specific.

Ecker: Ha. You might get lucky.

Hernandez: You got a point though. We really don't have a lot to go on.

Ecker: It's not even that. What we do have to go on doesn't make any sense. Tulpas don't just happen. They never have. They're made with certain purposes in mind. They're like living computers powered on memory and human emotion. Everything that they're made for is an instinct.

Hernandez: Why didn't you bring that up with the director then?

Ecker: You think he would have listened to me? He wasn't having any discussion.

Danica: You know, they don't bleed. They don't really die normally either. They kind of become like television static and disappear. We've never been able to perform a medical examination on one because they always dissipate, but there's probably nothing under all that fake flesh.

Williams: How can you be so sure when you just said yourself that you only experienced thi—

Danica: So, I was talking with Ecker earlier and I was thinking about how we could speed this up.

Danica pulls out a pocket knife from his coat pocket.

Danica: If tulpa don't bleed, why not just draw blood?

Williams recoils.

Williams: Alan, what the hell are you doing?

Danica: Just let me do this.

Williams: Do what? Stab me?!

Danica: If you're innocent, you don't have anything to worry about. Just sit still. It'll be over in a second.

Williams: Oh, so you think I'm the fake here? Just because I'm new to this whole thing?

Danica: Yes! Why wouldn't I think that? Everything about you is suspicious, Adrian. Your history, your naiveté, this very moment of resistance. You're in a corner and you can't get out. Accept it.

Williams: Fuck you, Alan. You've been nothing but condescending to me since I got here. I don't know why you hate me so much, but you've really outdone yourself now.

Danica: I'm trying to save our asses right now. This is nothing against you personally.

Danica: And leave myself defenseless? Nice try, but that trick isn't going to work on me.

Williams: I'm not going to— Jesus, are you serious? Give me the knife.

Danica: No.

Williams: I'm trying to cooperate with you here, Alan. Give. Me. The knife.

Danica: You want it? … You can have it.

Danica adjusts the knife in his hand to face the blade downwards. He then raises it above his head and brings it down towards Williams. Williams falls backwards out of their chair, causing the knife to plunge into the seat. Williams rushes to get to their feet and presses their back against the wall.

Williams: What are you doing?!

Danica pulls the knife out of the seat and stands up. He pushes the chair out of the way and advances towards Williams. As he does this, Williams moves towards the door. Danica quickens his pace. They both run out of the conference room.

Foreword: The following log was recorded by TSATPWTCOTTTADC.aic through the 2C terminal hallway surveillance system.

<Begin Log 08/09/2002, 15:23>

Williams is seen running around the corner into the hallway. They run towards SCP-5006 with Danica running behind them. When Williams reaches the end of the hall, Danica slows his pace.

Danica:[gasping for breath] Look at you now! Crawling back where you came from like the fucking snake you are. Nowhere left to run.

Williams:[gasping for breath] Alan, stop! Please! You don't know what you're doing. You need to get a hold of yourself.

Danica: I know exactly what I'm doing, dash one. I'm ending this. Things can go back to normal after we're done here and no one will know the difference.

Williams: No, don't do this. Alan, just stop and think. We've been working together for months. The time we spent as colleagues… it really happened, Alan.

Danica: I… But…

Danica stops for a moment. He stares forward, then looks to the knife in his right hand.

Danica: … We can't be certain that our memories are real.

Ecker: What's happening here?

Dr. Ecker can be seen coming from around the corner into the hallway. She is followed by Director Kurth.

Kurth: I was in the break room when I heard screaming. What is going on, Alan?

Danica: I— uh. … I'm… It's Williams. Williams is SCP-5006-1.

Williams: I'm not! Everyone, Danica is trying to kill me.

Danica: If you're not the thoughtform, why would you go back to your point of origin instinctively? Why is this the way you chose to protect yourself, by going to a dead end?

Kurth: Alan, this has gone far enough. Put down the knife.

Danica: This is a mistake, Director. Trust me on this. Adrian is the most suspicious out of all of us. I know it, they know it, you know it.

Kurth: Put down the god damn knife.

Everything is still for a moment. Danica hesitantly crouches down and places the pocket knife on the floor. He rises slowly with his hands at his sides.

Kurth: Good. Now, come with me, Alan. We need to discuss this little "incident". In private.

Danica:[sighs] This isn't right. This isn't what's supposed to happen.

Kurth: We'll talk more about it in a moment.

Just as they walk into the next hall, Hernandez approaches the entrance to the terminal hallway.

Hernandez: There you are. Convenient that everyone is in the same spot. What's going on here?

Kurth: We could ask you the same thing. Alan was attempting to murder Adrian. Thinks they're the tulpa. I talked him down and now the two of us are going to work out where to go from here in my office.

Hernandez: Adrian's the thoughtform? [He turns to Danica] What made you think that?

Danica: Doesn't matter now. It's apparently not a valid train of thought according to some people.

Hernandez: Who exactly?

Kurth: Me.

Hernandez: Director?

Kurth: Not long ago, I ran the statistics through TSAT. I can assure you that the currently supported data does not have confidence in Williams as our tulpa.

Hernandez: I see. [He turns to Ecker] This adds up.

Ecker: It does. [She turns to Kurth] Director Kurth, I feel that it is vital that you disclose the information TSAT provided you in regards to the data you received.

Kurth: You be quiet! I've had enough of you. I know what's real. I know that it's you, Alan.

Danica: Oh yeah? And what's your proof?

Kurth: TSAT. TSAT told me. Your numbers aren't looking good, Alan.

Danica: There it is, again. TSAT told you. Someone told you. But you don't have any evidence. No real evidence, anyway.

Kurth: You're really going to accuse your superior?

Danica: You aren't my superior. You're nobody.

Kurth punches Danica in the face. He stumbles backwards, falling onto the floor. Ecker runs up to Danica.

Kurth: How's that feel? Being hit by nobody?

Danica gets into a sitting position as Ecker helps him up to his feet.

Ecker: Alan… your face…

Danica sniffs sharply and wipes his nose. He looks at his coat sleeve.

Williams: There's your proof.

Danica: Tulpa don't bleed.

Kurth steps backwards.

Hernandez: Director, you realize the situation you are in, right?

Kurth looks at everyone as they advance towards him. He backs against the wall.

Kurth: I don't know what else to tell you. You have to believe me — trust me — it isn't me! I was appointed as site director in 1989. I began my work with the Foundation in 1974. I— I have Foundation awards for dedication and discoveries that have changed the very way we handle anomalies contained at this site — all sites in the midwest! I… I…

Williams picks up the pocket knife from the floor and gives it to Danica.

BY ORDER OF THE OVERSEER COUNCIL

The following file is Level 6/5006 classified. Unauthorized access is forbidden.

5006

6/5006 LEVEL 6/5006

CLASSIFIED

Item #: SCP-5006

Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Until such time that a suitable replacement for SCiPNET can be developed and implemented seamlessly, SCP-5006 is to be contained in the Foundation's internal network.

To date, SCP-5006 has acted as a positive asset for the Foundation, assisting in the containment of various other SCP objects. In the event that SCP-5006 significantly deviates from its baseline behavior or becomes aware of the Foundation's knowledge of its nature, the O5 Council is to implement the self-destruct sequence of all SCiPNET servers except for those in isolated Faraday cage storage at Site-01. Following such a procedure, backups are to be disseminated to all active Foundation sites and secondary containment of SCP-5006 is to be reestablished.

Description: SCP-5006 is Foundation .aic TSATPWTCOTTTADC. SCP-5006 came into existence spontaneously on 23 July 2002, localized to an office terminal in the technical department of Site-608. It is believed that SCP-5006 is able to distort local reality and it uses this ability in an effort to further embed itself into the Foundation. To this end, SCP-5006 has made the following alterations to local reality:

Scheduled the decommissioning of Site-608's previous .aic with itself as the replacement.

Modified all plans and maps of Site-608 to indicate that the terminal hallway in Section 2C contained three offices as opposed to the previous four.

Physically altered the aforementioned hallway to only contain a single office.

Granted itself Level 4 access and full control over Site-608 subsystems.

Appointed itself as the primary containment contact for SCP-5006.

Listed itself as an official .aic in the Foundation database, available for use upon request at any Foundation site.

The true nature of SCP-5006 was discovered on 08 September 2002 after the O5 Council compared the official SCiPNET records of Site-608 with isolated backups from Site-01, resulting in the discovery of multiple discrepancies. This prompted a complete audit of Site-608, which revealed that .aic TSATPWTCOTTTADC did not exist in any Site-01 backup files previous to 23 July 2002.

This div is included to facilitate McB's ListPages module on his author page. It is strictly out-of-universe. themightymcb-s-author-page